Context: India has been elected to the United Nations Statistical Commission for a four year term beginning January 1, 2024. India secured 46 out of 53 votes in the election to the Commission.
United Nations Statistical Commission
- The United Nations Statistical Commission (StatCom), established in 1947, is the highest body of the global statistical system bringing together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world.
- It is responsible for setting statistical standards and the development of concepts and methods, including their implementation at the national and international level.
- The StatCom oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and it is also a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council.
- Since 1999 the Commission meets every year, as set forth by the Economic and Social Council.
- Location: Headquarters of the United Nations, New York, United States
Mandate
The terms of reference as set forth in Economic and Social Council resolution in 1946, state that the Commission shall assist the Council:
- In promoting the development of national statistics and the improvement of their comparability
- In the coordination of the statistical work of specialized agencies
- In the development of the central statistical services of the Secretariat
- In advising the organs of the United Nations on general questions relating to the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical information
- In promoting the improvement of statistics and statistical methods generally
Elections
The Commission consists of 24 member countries of the United Nations elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council on the basis of an equitable geographical distribution according to the following pattern
1.African states (5)
2.Asian States (4)
3.Eastern European States (4)
4.Latin American and Caribbean States (4)
5.Western European and other States (7)
The term of office of members is four years.
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS
- The Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics were developed and adopted by the Conference of European Statisticians in 1991, which were subsequently adopted in 1992 at the ministerial level by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
- In 1994, these Principles were adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission.
- At its forty-second session in 2011, the Statistical Commission recommended the development of an updated preamble, which was presented and adopted in its forty-fourth session in 2013.
- The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics in 2014, in its 68th session.
- These principles are considered a basic framework which all statistical activities developed by national and international organizations must follow in recognizing official statistics as a public good.
- It is the first time the Fundamental Principles have received such high recognition at global political level.
